Cancer charities join PM to promote breast screening

Cancer charities have joined prime minister Gordon Brown to highlight the importance of routine breast screening.

Speaking at a reception at Downing Street, Mr Brown said that he hopes to 'transform' the nation's cancer care through a combination of early diagnosis, timely treatment and investment in research for cures.

'That is why today, together with all the breast cancer charities, I am calling for all women to make the important decision to take up their right to breast screening,' he added.

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Women are offered a mammogram every three years between the ages of 50 and 70 and the government plans to extend the programme to include all women between the ages of 47 and 73 by 2012.

The NHS breast cancer screening programme is estimated to save 1,400 lives every year, yet figures show that 27 per cent of eligible women did not take up their invitation for a mammogram in 2008.

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said that this is 'extremely worrying'.

He noted: 'If there were 100 per cent attendance at breast screening, hundreds more lives could be saved.'

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